The Bahraini regime has given jail terms to 22 activists for taking part in pro-democracy demonstrations in the Persian Gulf country.

The Bahraini regime has given jail terms to 22 activists for taking part in pro-democracy demonstrations in the Persian Gulf country.

On Saturday, a Bahraini court sentenced 18 citizens to three years and four others to two years in prison for partaking in protests in Bani Jamra, a village in the northwest of Bahrain.

On Friday, thousands of people staged an anti-regime protest in the village of Diraz on the country’s northwestern coast to voice solidarity with journalists and photographers arrested by the Al Khalifa regime’s crackdown.

A separate demonstration was held in the village of Sanabis, located in the suburbs of the Bahraini capital Manama.

Since mid-February 2011, thousands of pro-democracy protesters have held numerous demonstrations in the streets of Bahrain, calling for the Al Khalifa royal family to relinquish power.

On March 14, 2011, troops from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates invaded the country to assist the Bahraini government in its crackdown on peaceful protesters.

According to local sources, scores of people have been killed and hundreds arrested.

On June 10, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) censured the Manama regime for human rights violations in the country. A total of 46 members of the international body expressed deep concern over the Al Khalifa regime’s crackdown on peaceful protesters. …more

Cecily McMillan. (Photo by Lucy Parks CC-BY)RIKERS ISLAND, N.Y.—Cecily McMillan, the Occupy activist who on Monday morning will appear before a criminal court in New York City to be sentenced to up to seven years on a charge of assaulting a police officer, sat in a plastic chair wearing a baggy, oversized gray jumpsuit, cheap brown plastic sandals and horn-rim glasses. Other women, also dressed in prison-issued gray jumpsuits, sat nearby in the narrow, concrete-walled visitation room clutching their children, tears streaming down their faces. The children, bewildered, had their arms wrapped tightly around their mothers’ necks. It looked like the disaster scene it was.

“It’s all out in the open here,” said the 25-year-old student, who was to have graduated May 22 with a master’s degree from The New School of Social Research in New York City. “The cruelty of power can’t hide like it does on the outside. You get America, everything America has become, especially for poor people of color in prison. My lawyers think I will get two years. But two years is nothing compared to what these women, who never went to trial, never had the possibility of a trial with adequate legal representation, face. There are women in my dorm who, because they have such a poor command of English, do not even understand their charges. I spent a lot of time trying to explain the charges to them.”

McMillan says Grantley Bovell, who was in plainclothes and did not identify himself as a police officer, grabbed her from behind during a March 17, 2012, gathering of several hundred Occupy activists in Manhattan’s Zuccotti Park. In a video of the incident she appears to have instinctively elbowed him in the face, but she says she has no memory of what happened. Video and photographs—mostly not permitted by the trial judge to be shown in the courtroom—buttressed her version of events. There is no dispute that she was severely beaten by police and taken from the park to a hospital where she was handcuffed to a bed. On May 5 she was found guilty after a three-week trial of a felony assault in the second degree. She can receive anything from probation to seven years in prison.

“I am prepared mentally for a long sentence,” she told me this past weekend when I interviewed her at the Rikers Island prison in the Bronx. “I watched the trial. I watched the judge. This was never about justice. Just as it is not about justice for these other women. One mother was put in here for shoplifting after she lost her job and her house and needed to feed her children. There is another prisoner, a preschool teacher with a 1-year-old son she was breastfeeding, who let her cousin stay with her after her cousin was evicted. It turns out the cousin sold drugs. The cops found money, not drugs, that the cousin kept in the house and took the mother. They told her to leave her child with the neighbors. There is story after story in here like this. It wakes you up.”

McMillan’s case is emblematic of the nationwide judicial persecution of activists, a persecution familiar to poor people of color. Her case stands in contrast with the blanket impunity given to the criminals of Wall Street. Some 8,000 nonviolent Occupy protesters have been arrested. Not one banker or investor has gone to jail for causing the 2008 financial meltdown. The disparity of justice mirrors the disparity in incomes and the disparity in power.

Occupy activists across the country have been pressured to “plea out” on felony charges in exchange for sentences of years of probation, which not only carry numerous restrictions, including being unable to attend law school or serve on a jury, but make it difficult for them to engage in further activism for fear of arrest and violating their probation. McMillan was offered the same plea deal but refused it. She was one of the few who went to trial. …more

Hussain Hubail and Jasim AlNaimi received sentences of FIVE years today, with Sadiq AlShaabani, an actor and six activists no longer in the country. There is no pretense that these young men have actually done anything other
than attend demonstrations or sent emails.

In Hussain Hubail’s case, he will not survive with his heart condition. Please write to Jeremy Hunt, U.K. Minister of Health saying Hussain should be released on Health and Humanitarian grounds. Ask Mr Hunt to contact the Bahrain Minister of the Interior. You can contact Jeremy on: Department_of_Health@dh.gsi.gov.uk

A list of potential prisoners for release, women, kids and sick and injured has been prepared for the U.N officials who should meet the Bahrain Foreign Minister, before they leave Bahrain having completed the UNHCR project.

Regarding the Warsi statement on “no specific evidence of torture”, the Bahrainis have written to Mr Cameron and the Chairman of the House of Commons.

The Chairman said “he couldn’t talk about it” Why?

Mr Cameron said “please write to Hague”. Mr Cameron as leader of the Tories and Prime Minister should reprimand Warsi and say she must apologise. If this means a change in U.K. stance on the Khalifas’ policy of systemic torture, so be it. This issue will not fade away as most Bahrainis in London were tortured and it’s basis for their asylum application.

I want to tell you about the decline in justice and the legal procedures in Bahrain, where people including children are detained, tortured, forced to sign unseen confessions and jailed for long periods. All you get from Mr Robertson and his predecessor Mr Burt, The U.K. Ministers for the Middle East and Northern Africa is their “concern” and that they talk quietly to the Khalifa regime about “due process.” There is no due process.

Mohamed Abdulla Tajer, (25) was detained on August 6th 2013. He was targeted to stop the well known defence lawyer Mohamed Tajer persueing political cases and defending “terrorists.” He was sentenced to SEVEN years today. He was charged with “attacking” the police but actually defended young ladies attacked by police on a demonstration. The accuser is an officer at the notorious Samaheej police station. The police accusations are based on secret sources and difficult for the defence lawyers to question. The police officer brought the person he claimed was the “victim” of the attack to identify Mohammed which he duly did.

The other defendants Sayed Ali, (34) Sayed Hussain (36) and Mohamed Oun Ali (26.) all got seven years. Mohamed Tajer the lawyer has tried to see his client Mohammed three times but failed. On 2nd December Mohammed denied all charges and said he was tortured to confess. The Prosecutor said he couldn’t drop all the charges against Mohammed or the fact he’d been tortured, but offered to state he’s been punched ONE TIME. After 2nd December 2013 session he was forced to sign more papers to incriminate himself to avoid further torture. He missed two court sessions because the prison bus was late and prisoners are always abused and strip searched beforehand at the prison. He never saw his lawyer before sentencing. He has been in Dry Dock Prison but will now move to Jau Prison.

Mohamed has hemorrhoids but the Prison Authorities won’t allow the operation. He only gets painkillers. When he attended Salmanya Hospital in February he was told he needed medicine, a proper diet and salt and water baths –impossible in the overcrowded, unhygienic prison where there are 5 beds for 12 men and no clean water. He is a quiet, reserved young man who works in an office, targeted to put pressure on his relative Mohamed Tajer
. Please help Mohammed by raising his case with your M.P. and Congressman. It is time the U.S. and U.K. Governments put pressure on the Khalifas to improve the legal system and prison conditions as a prelude to negotiations.

In Bahrain, 25 people have been arrested on suspicion of being involved in a deadly bomb attack targeting police forces near the country’s capital, Manama, earlier this week.

The country’s interior minister Sheik Rashid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa made the announcement during a televised address on Tuesday, March 4.

The Bahraini minister said the attack on Monday, March 3, left at least three police officers who were trying to break up crowds of anti-government protesters in Daih, dead.

He also mentioned an attack that killed a policeman last month.

Bahrain’s main opposition groups have also condemned the deadly attacks.

Manama also listed the February 14 coalition, and the al-Ashtar Brigades and the Resistance Brigades opposition groups as terrorist organizations, without further explanation.

Since mid-February 2011, thousands of pro-democracy protesters have held numerous demonstrations in the streets of Bahrain, calling for the Al Khalifa royal family to step down from power.

One month later, troops from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates invaded Bahrain to assist the Bahraini government in its crackdown on peaceful protesters.

Reports suggest scores of people have been killed and hundreds of others arrested over the past three years.

According to the Physicians for Human Rights, Bahraini doctors and nurses have been detained, tortured, or disappeared because they have “evidence of atrocities committed by the authorities, security forces, and riot police” in the crackdown on anti-government protesters. …more

Four Bahrainis could face the death penalty over an alleged attack that killed three policemen earlier this month, prosecutors say.

On Sunday, the Bahraini prosecutors issued a statement saying the four men have “confessed” to involvement in the blast that killed the security personnel, AFP reported.

On March 3, the three policemen were killed in the bomb attack in Daih village, west of the capital Manama, Bahrain’s Interior Ministry said.

An officer from the United Arab Emirates, deployed in the Persian Gulf state, was among the dead officers.

The explosion happened as Bahraini troops attacked and fired teargas to disperse thousands of people who had gathered to mourn the death of an anti-regime activist in the village.

Since mid-February 2011, thousands of pro-democracy protesters have held numerous demonstrations in the streets of Bahrain, calling for the Al Khalifa royal family to relinquish power.

On March 14, 2011, troops from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates invaded the country to assist the Bahraini government in its crackdown on peaceful protesters.

According to local sources, scores of people have been killed and hundreds arrested.

Physicians for Human Rights says doctors and nurses have been detained, tortured, or disappeared because they have “evidence of atrocities committed by the authorities, security forces, and riot police” in the crackdown on anti-government protesters.

On March 3, 2014, three policemen were killed in the bomb attack in Daih village, west of the capital Manama, Bahrain’s Interior Ministry said. An officer from the United Arab Emirates, deployed in the Persian Gulf state, was among the dead. The explosion happened as Bahraini troops attacked and fired teargas to disperse thousands of people who had gathered to mourn the death of an anti-regime activist in the village.

Since mid-February 2011, thousands of pro-democracy protesters have held numerous demonstrations in the streets of Bahrain, calling for the Al Khalifa royal family to relinquish power. On March 14, 2011, troops from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates invaded the country to assist the Bahraini government in its crackdown on peaceful protesters. According to local sources, scores of people have been killed and hundreds arrested. Physicians for Human Rights says doctors and nurses have been detained, tortured, or disappeared because they have “evidence of atrocities committed by the authorities, security forces, and riot police” in the crackdown on anti-government protesters.” target=”_blank”>…more

Bahrain Human Rights Observatory (BHRO) regrets the insults and the inappropriate treatment to which the lawyers are being exposed before the criminal courts by some members of court panels, which has reached levels that necessitate a strong stance by the Supreme Judiciary Council to restore the lawyers confidence in the judiciary System.

Many lawyers were thrown out of court halls. Among whom were lawyer Abdulla Zain ulddin, lawyer Mohsin Al-Alawi. Many were also insulted and stopped by policemen who outnumber judges and litigants in criminal courts.

Lawyers who are attempting to perform their duties and enter some courts are impeded by police through placing blocks that prevent movement from one court to another, or by locking the court doors after the judge enters, regardless of the fact that lawyers may go back and forth to the same court for more than an hour waiting for sessions to be held. What is worst is that lawyers are being constantly stopped and impeded by policemen when they move between various court halls. Police men go as far as using force to deny lawyers access to courts and even interfere to evict them from courts.

Most of lawyers in criminal courts has reached a high degree of desperation because they are unable to provide the minimum levels of defense guarantees and fair trials, especially as police and public prosecution are not allowing them to attend interrogations of political prisoners, and judges are refusing any serious defense or even listening to the prisoners, checking torture marks or even talking about torture or investigating it. Lawyers do not see any real desire on the part of judges to listen to their request, thereby rendering their job in defending prisoners in political cases to become a mere make – believe defense and a psychological support for the prisoners. Cases in which the accused are opposition supporters take several days or months before a verdict is issued.

It has also been noticed recently that various courts have reached a level that they openly protect prosecution witnesses (mainly policemen) against questioning by lawyers, and exceeding that, to answering for them or refraining from putting any questions to them. Lawyers have even learnt that prosecution witnesses are being allowed access to case files before being questioned thereby rendering the questioning of any security officer futile. This has created a conviction among lawyers that some judges have developed a negative attitude towards all political prisoners, and trials are being held hastily without complying with the simplest rules and articles of the Criminal Procedures Law, such as formally charging the accused, interrogating, allowing for their examination by a forensic doctor, interrogation of prosecution witnesses or displaying or examining the evidence or even listening to denial witnesses. Even written defense may not be submitted. It has been noticed that many political cases have been held for verdict without presentation of witnesses or written defense.[Read more →]

Bahrain: Urgent Appeal: Fear of Torture During First Days Of Arrest; No Access To Fair Trial
30 December, 2013 – Bahrain Center for Human Rights

The Bahrain Center for Human Rights issues an urgent appeal regarding the individuals who have been arrested in four cases recently announced by the Ministry of Interior. As has been seen in the past several years, and especially in cases where charges are brought under the internationally criticized terrorism law, those arrested by the authorities in Bahrain are often severely tortured during the first few days of their detention in order to obtain confessions. These confessions are then used in unfair trials, and lengthy prison sentences are handed down.

Details of the cases:

The Ministry of Interior announced that they had “foiled four plots” and added that “indications show these operations are linked to each others”, the cases that have been announced in the press conference are:

(1) First case: the dismantle of an “armed car” in Al-Hoora area.

(2) Second case: the arrest of thirteen individuals (one of them holds a Saudi passport) who were wanted by the authorities, and had attempted to escape Bahrain by sea; there were three sailors transporting them.

(3) Third case: the interception of a speed boat with two persons on board delivering weapons into Bahrain by sea.

(4) Fourth case: the uncovering of a “explosives/weapons warehouse in “AlQaryah” in connection with third case.

The details of these cases were announced by the “Chief of Public Security” Tariq AlHassan, who was previously included in the BCHR “Wanted for Justice” campaign.
…more

Bahraini human rights defender Hussain Jawad was arrested on Saturday over allegations of inciting hatred against the government, his organization confirmed in a statement on Wednesday.

Hussein Jawad is a human rights activist, and Chairman of European-Bahraini Organization for Human Rights (EBOHR), an international organization that works to defend human rights across the Middle East.

According to EBOHR’s statement, Jawad went to the Central Province Center on November 23 to file a complaint against Bahraini media organizations and the chief editor of Emirati publication Gulf News, Anwar Abdul Rahman. Meanwhile, Jawad was notified that a police patrol was on its way to arrest him.

Jawad initially refused to be handcuffed by two officers dressed in civilian clothing, before relenting and being escorted to a police station for further questioning in the presence of his lawyer, Saeed Sarhan.

The interrogation focused on a speech Jawad delivered in the Bahraini capital Manama at an event commemorating the religious holiday of Ashura, declaring that it “incited hatred against the regime.”

EBOHR said that Jawad has been shuttled between at least three security facilities since his arrest. He is currently being held in a short-term detention unit.

On November 24, EBOHR confirmed and condemned the public prosecutor’s demand that Jawad remain in custody for fifteen days pending further investigation.

Front Line Defenders expressed their “grave concern that the Bahrain authorities persist in their habit of systematically targeting human rights defenders one after another through arrests, defamation, threats and prosecutions.”

In 2011 the Gulf state – ruled by the al-Khalifa monarchy – was shaken by an uprising calling for democratic reform.

Protesters were met with overwhelming military force leading to at least 89 deaths, according to the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH). The Bahraini government has since continued its crackdown on protests. …source

Two policemen allegedly involved in three cases of maltreatment will appear before the court on November 25, 2013 to face charges, Chief Prosecutor and head of the Special Investigation Unit (SIU) Nawaf Abdullah Hamza in a statement confirmed.

The Public Prosecution charged the first defendant with aggressing two detainees and demanded his trial under articles 4/75 and 1 and 2 /339 of the penal code.

It also charged the second defendant with assaulting one of the accused as he was arrested and demanded his trial under the provisions of the same articles.

The probe panel has also interrogated seven people accused of maltreatment.

Witnesses were heard into the complaints which were lodged in October, which triggered an official inquiry.

In another development, Al-Wefaq Society Liberties and Human Rights Chief Hadi Al-Mousawi appeared before the probe panel regarding the torture and maltreatment claims and alleged statistics he had posted online.

However, he failed to produce evidence corroborating his cyber allegations, claiming the complainants themselves retracted and refused to report the cases.

The investigation unit also summoned Yusuf Al-Mahafdha regarding his torture and maltreatment claims and alleged statistics, which he posted on social websites.

However, the claimant failed to appear before the probe panel to hear his allegations, although notified officially three times.

A (SIU) reported to the Dry Dock detention centre last Wednesday (November6) to hear a number of detainees and gauge their conditions in police custody.

These include Hussain Jaafar Ibrahim Hubail, who was remanded in custody by court order for his involvement in a criminal case.

The detainee, who is under treatment, admitted receiving medication regularly, reporting some delay at times.
The prison authorities were ordered to administer him the necessary medication on time and cautioned against any delay.

The Chief Prosecutor and head of the Special Investigation Unit (SIU) said that the measures undertaken in this regard would be followed up closely. …source

Manama: A Bahrain court on Thursday released Khalil Marzouq, the deputy secretary-general of Al Wefaq National Islamic Society, after adjourning his trial to November 18.

Marzouq is facing charges of “inciting terrorism and promoting acts that constitute crimes of terrorism.”

First Attorney-General Abdul Rahman Al Sayed earlier this month said that the charges levelled after the Public Prosecution completed its investigations of the case also included “using a position within a legally formed political association to call for committing crimes that constitute acts of terrorism punishable under the Community Protection Law.”

Marzouq told the court hearing on Thursday that he rejects violence but stands by his calls for peaceful anti-government protests to force reforms in the country.

He told the three-judge panel that he supports peaceful efforts to force political concessions from the government. But he denied any support for bombings and other attacks, which have been on the rise.

The former lawmaker, who was arrested on September 17 pending the investigation, was also charged with “advocating support for perpetrators of criminal activities and justifying their crimes, calling for the continued planting of explosives and for acts of violence, supporting the criminal activities by persons accused of committing terrorist acts, advocating their crimes as well as pushing for disobeying laws.” …more

According to a report released by al-Wefaq National Islamic Society, over the past month, Bahrain has seen the highest levels of violence used by the regime since the uprising began in 2011.

Al-Wefaq has documented 1,900 cases of human rights violations in a report only in the month of September, including incidents in which regime forces used excessive force or torture.

According to the report, last month, 214 anti-regime protesters were arrested, including two women and 40 children, the highest number since the revolution began.

The al-Wefaq report also said that 111 activists, who were convicted by a Bahraini court and given sentences of up to 15 years, were tried based on fabricated charges, Press TV reported.

On Monday, Bahrainis took to the streets in the northeastern island of Sitra for the sixth consecutive day to denounce the regime’s unrelenting crackdown on pro-democracy protests.

People from all walks of life attended marches in Sitra to demand reforms and an end to the decades-old rule of the Al Khalifa dynasty.

Earlier in the day, a court in Bahrain sentenced nine anti-regime activists to life in prison after convicting them of being allegedly involved in an attack in November 2011 in the capital Manama.

Four of the defendants, who were present at the court, had previously said that they were subjected to torture and mistreatment in solitary confinement.

Five other defendants, tried in absentia, were handed additional 10-year jail terms for failing to hand themselves in.

The verdict brought to 104 the number of pro-democracy protesters sentenced to lengthy jail terms in Bahrain.

Similar rallies were also held in the villages of Nuwaidrat and Samahich close to Sitra, where protesters expressed solidarity with the detainees and condemned the unjust sentences.

Since mid-February 2011, thousands of pro-democracy protesters have staged numerous demonstrations in the streets of Bahrain, calling for the Al Khalifa royal family to relinquish power.

According to local sources, scores of people have been killed and hundreds arrested.

Physicians for Human Rights says doctors and nurses have been detained, tortured, or disappeared because they have “evidence of atrocities committed by the authorities, security forces, and riot police” in the crackdown on anti-government protesters. …source

DUBAI: A Bahraini court on Thursday sentenced 18 men to between five and seven years in prison after they were convicted of attacking a police station, a judicial source said.

Fifteen defendants were jailed for seven years and three for five years after being of attacking the police station in a Shiite village near Manama last November.

They had been charged with “aggression” against police, “possession of petrol bombs” and taking part in an unauthorized protest “aiming at undermining public security.”

No casualties were reported in the attack.

Thursday’s ruling brings to 122 the number of people jailed since September 29 in connection with violence in the kingdom that began in February 2011 with a month-long uprising.

In August, King Hamad decreed stiffer penalties for “terror acts.”

These include a minimum 10-year jail term for an attempted bombing. If such attacks cause casualties, the sentence can be life imprisonment or the death penalty.

Bahraini activists continue to demonstrate in villages outside the capital and frequently clash with police.
At least 89 people have been killed since the protests began two and a half years ago, according to the International Federation for Human Rights.

Strategically located across the Gulf from Iran, Bahrain is home to the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet and is an offshore financial and services center for its oil-rich Arab neighbors.

Sentencing takes place this Sunday, 29th September with no real prosecution and no defence having taken place. Defendants are accused of “destroying state property.”

6 of 11 defendants in this trial are:

Rihanna al Moussawi, Naji Fateel, Director of the Bahrain Youth Society of Human Rights, Hameed Abbas AlSafi, injured with teargas canister on his arrest, Mohammed Al Singace, tortured with visible wound to head and Essa Alghais, who was so tortured he told his lawyer not to file a complaint. Teacher Mohammed Altai wasn’t even interviewed on this charge initially.

In the trials on 14th September trial, at the first session on 11th July, torture claims not recorded, Naji Fateel shows weals on his back and Rihanna al Mousawi describes her treatment. She was tortured, stripped and forced to stand at an open doorway.

25th July, lawyers couldn’t get access to documents. Sept 5th Session boycotted by defendants and their lawyers, and judge didn’t turn up. Lawyers had made an application under Article 211 of the Criminal Procedure of Bahrain to get Judge Al Khalifa Al Dhahrani dismissed as biased. This application was refused.

Because these are highly politicized cases, harsh Sentences by the Bahrain Government on 29th September.

Lawyers are boycotting both the 14th February Coalition and the El Emam trial as they give a semblance of respectability to this travesty of justice. They can’t see their clients but speak to them on the phone. If they have any questions they must post them at the office and hope to get a response.

A lawyer said today there are so many political trials going on that it is impossible to look after their clients in a climate of fear, where the results are fixed at the beginning.

His Royal Highness Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Bahrain Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa has instructed the concerned judicial sides to adopt mechanisms to fast-track litigation procedures, especially regarding terrorism cases, so as to activate the recommendations of the National Assembly on toughening anti-terror penalties and protecting community.

HRH Premier was commenting on reports on the success of the security forces in identifying 54 terror cases since 2012, 88% of which have been referred to the Public Prosecution and are currently being examined by the courts, with only two final verdicts issued.

This came as HRH Premier chaired here on Wednesday a high-level work meeting devoted to the security situation in the kingdom.

The Interior Minister Lieutenant-General Shaikh Rashid bin Abdulla Al Khalifa briefed HRH Premier on the efforts exerted by the Interior Ministry to eradicate terrorism and violence, noting that four policemen martyred, 54 ones were seriously wounded, two residents died and 5 others were injured.

He added that a total of 192 suspects accused of terrorism charges had been arrested.

HRH Premier was informed about the efforts made by the relevant sides to follow-up on the implementation of mechanisms to control money-raising for public purposes and keep track of suspicious accounts in order to block them and dry up terrorism-financing resources, in line with the recommendations of the National Assembly.

The Prime Minister praised the efforts exerted by the Interior Minister and the Ministry’s affiliates, and stressed that all government sides should be committed to applying the penal laws on whoever breaks the law, disrupts order or harms the citizens’ security or property without leniency or excess.

He also reviewed the precautionary measures required to face any repercussions or emergency, and got assured on the steps taken by the ministries to ensure the stability of services and food supply, stressing that those measure have to be effective and efficient. …source

SHAFAQNA (International Shia News Association) – The past few days have witnessed one of harshest campaigns, collective punishment and en-mass trials in the country. Scores were kidnapped from their homes, offices or the street, taken to torture chambers and subjected to most horrific treatment. The towns of Samaheej, Duraz, Sitra, Karzakkan and others were raided by armed security men and hooded militias to induce fear in the hearts of Bahrainis. Those detained suffered great deals of torture to the extent that the regime’s torture personnel have denied that they had arrested some of them, leading to fears that some prisoners may have perished in the torture chambers. This campaign of state-terrorism started at the beginning of the holy month of Ramadhan to disorientate the people and divert them from the path of worship and struggle.

At the same time the Alkhalifa kangaroo courts resumed their sessions to send more Bahrainis to prison on trumpeted charges. On Thursday 25th July scores of Bahrainis were brought into these courts only to be humiliated by the Alkhalifa judges. Among them was Raihana Al Mousawi, one of two women arrested during the Formula 1 race in April. At her last appearance two weeks ago she told the court that she had been subjected to torture, abused and stripped off her clothes. The judge refused to document her torture complaints and failed to take any action to investigate these heinous crimes.

The group which is being tried is accused of being members of the 14th February Coalition. Among those present were Jihad Mohammad Ali and Ali Habib who were limping as they entered the court room due to the severe torture they had endured. A third person was Abd Ali Al Singace whose hand and neck had wrappings indicating the extent of torture. The fourth was Naji Fateel who had removed his shirt in the last session to expose the horrific wounds due to severe beating and hanging from the hands and legs. Another person was Hamid Al Safi who became furious when he saw Raihana Al Mousawi at the court again after her first ordeal two weeks ago. The judge ordered his removal from the court. Three others were also brought; Jaffar Al Jamri, Mohammad Ali Ashoor and Abd Ali Mohammad Khair. The Bahraini patriots started detailing their torture ordeals , but the judge kept interrupting them and asking them to stop talking. The ruling family had prevented a representative of Front Line Defenders and a Bahraini human rights activist, Mohammad Al Masqati from attending in order to keep the lid on those tales of horror. The session was abruptly brought to an end when the defence team refused the presence of one of the Alkhalifa members and the son of a prominent regime’s crony as judges. The families of the Bahraini victims were not allowed into the court room. …more

In Bahrain, members of the ruling Al Khalifa family, or those responsible for protecting their interests (i.e. the security forces) have historically been afforded a large degree of impunity. This is despite evidence that points to their participation in gross acts of oppression. In the recent uprising, no member of the state security forces has been found guilty of torture or murder, and no high-level government officials have been questioned for their complicity in the crackdown.

Following the ‘democratic’ reforms of 2001, Royal Decree 56 absolved any of the state security forces from being prosecuted for crimes committed during the brutal crackdown of the 1990s Intifada. Indeed the ruling elite in Bahrain has always found a way to engineer means of escaping accountability. This tradition of impunity is rooted in Bahrain’s history, yet even in excellent academic scholarship there remains the perpetuation of erroneous facts that understate the degree of impunity that the Ruling Family has enjoyed.

This is particularly true with regards to the trial of Khalid bin Ali Al Khalifa and his sons Khalid and Salman, who were found guilty of instigating and carrying out two attacks on the village of Sitra in 1923 (Khalid bin Ali was the nephew of the previous ruler, Isa bin Ali Al Khalifa). The attack left several Shia villagers dead, including women and children. The trial of the Khalids, (who are sometimes referred to as the Khawalid), recently featured in a front-page article on the Wall Street Journal:

When Shiites sought greater rights in the early 1920s, Khaled Ben Ali led the crackdown. At British prodding, he was tried for murder and jailed. The trial left wounds that festered for decades.

The writer of the article, Charles Levinson, may have been a little over zealous in his assertion that the jailing of the Khalids left a festering wound that lasted decades. In actual fact, Khalid bin Ali was never jailed. He was fined and his property confiscated. It was his sons Ali and Salman who were exiled to India. However, before they could be deported, Ali and Salman escaped to mainland Arabia. …more

Angry protests have erupted in Bahrain in reaction to a court verdict against 13 jailed opposition activists.

Protesters set tires on fire and blocked main roads in several towns and villages near the capital, Manama, on Monday, when Bahrain’s highest court upheld sentences handed down to the political activists for organizing demonstrations against the Al Khalifa regime.

A military court originally issued the sentences in 2011. The rulings, which range from five years in prison to life sentences, were upheld by a civilian court in September 2012.

The Monday ruling was the last chance the 13 had to reverse their convictions, which Amnesty International has described as an outrage. The rights organization has urged the Bahraini regime to overturn the sentences.

Those given life sentences include prominent human rights activist Abdulhadi al-Khawaja and opposition leader Hassan Mushaima.

The Bahraini uprising began in February 2011. The regime promptly launched a brutal crackdown on peaceful protests and called in Saudi-led Arab forces from neighboring states.

Bahraini police have frequently used tear gas and rubber bullets against the demonstrators. Security forces have also arrested hundreds of people, including doctors and nurses.

A report published by the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry in November 2011, found that the Al Khalifa regime had used excessive force in the crackdown. It accused Manama of torturing political activists, politicians, and protesters.

Bahraini protesters say they will continue holding anti-regime demonstrations until their demand for the establishment of a democratically elected government is met. …source

AFP – Bahrain’s appeals court on Sunday cut the jail terms of two Shiite leading members of the teacher’s union, charged with calling to topple the Sunni monarchy during last year’s protests, lawyers said.

The court halved the 10-year jail sentence against the head of the teachers union, Mahdi Abu Deeb, and reduced the three-year imprisonment sentence meted out against his deputy Jalila al-Salman to six months, lawyers said.

Abu Deeb, who has been behind bar since April last year, appeared in court, while Salman did not show up. She has been out on bail since August last year after spending around five months in jail.

The earlier sentences were issued by a special quasi-military court set up after security forces backed by a Saudi-led Gulf contingent quelled a month-long protest in mid-March last year.

The duo were charged with exploiting their union positions to instigate protests, calling for teachers’ strikes and shutting down of schools, as well as calling to topple the regime by force.

Scores of Shiites, including medics, have been tried and jailed for taking part in protests that demanded democratic change in the Shiite-majority Gulf state.

Bahrain came under strong criticism from international rights groups over last year’s crackdown on protests.

An international panel commissioned by King Hamad to probe the clampdown found that excessive force and torture had been used against protesters and detainees.

According to the International Federation for Human Rights, a total of 80 people have been killed in Bahrain since the violence began on February 14, 2011.

Bahrain, home to the US Fifth Fleet and strategically situated across the Gulf from Iran, has continued to witness sporadic demonstrations, mostly outside the capital Manama. …more

BRUSSELS: EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said Wednesday she was “disappointed and concerned” after a Bahrain court upheld convictions against a score of activists accused of trying to overthrow the monarchy.

“I am disappointed and concerned at the decision of the Bahraini Court of Appeal to uphold the harsh sentences against Mr Abdulhadi Khawaja and nineteen other individuals,” Ashton said in a statement.

The court Tuesday retried 13 leading opposition figures, including seven facing life in prison, as well as seven others who remain at large.

Among those sentenced was Khawaja who in June ended a 110-day hunger strike.

The defendants, who played leading roles in month-long protests last year demanding democratic reforms, did not turn up in the appeals court, the lawyers said.

The opposition swiftly condemned the “vindictive” rulings and accused the court of staging “mock trials,” the United States expressed its concern, while London-based Amnesty International denounced the ruling as “outrageous.”

“I hope that the appeal before the Cassation Court will be fair, transparent and conducted in the full respect of international obligations Bahrain has subscribed to,” Ashton said.

“I will continue to monitor the process and the overall situation in the country very closely,” she added on behalf of the European Union.
…source

Bahrain’s High Court of Appeals upheld jail sentences against 20 opposition figures accused of plotting to overthrow the regime today [September 4, 2012]. While international human rights organisations describes them as “prisoners of conscience,” Bahraini authorities and the local Press call them “terrorists” for their role in anti-government protests, which started in Bahrain on February 14, 2011.

Eight of them have been slapped with life in prison; the rest have been given jail sentences ranging from five to 15 years.

Supporters called the trial a sham, rejecting its ruling and pledging to continue with anti-government demonstrations. …more

“Khalifa, leave the residents of Al Mahraq, its Sheikhs and its elderly. Everyone knows that you are not popular here, and if there wasn’t a need for money, they wouldn’t have gone out to receive you. When will you step down?”

“Jail me three years or 30 – I will never give up.” “I will continue all my life struggling for democracy and human rights.” Nabeel Rajab

Side Notes

Preamble US Declaration of Independence

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.

Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, 17 July 1998
Article 6 Genocide

For the purpose of this Statute, "genocide" means any of the following acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, as such:

- Killing members of the group;

- Causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group;

- Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part;

- Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.

Article 20

(1) Everyone has the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association.

In Defence of The Streets

"Many things unsettled me. I felt constantly under pressure. The routine was very hard. I had eye problems, I was unable to focus. I was completely alone. I had nothing to do, so I began to play with the ants crawling in my cell. I used to feed them, too. Then one day the guards came and sprayed my cell with insecticide - the ants died. They were all I had" Bahrain Political Prisoner, Amnesty Report 1991.